A/N: Dream Theater, Rush and Pink Floyd can't stop inspiring me to write new chapters! They're great music! xD Yes, I finally got to see them perform in concert this month, and they did a fantastic show. This chapter has a bit of based on ideas that I wrote into a piece of paper.

zaxman22: OC requests? This story doesn't have that. Sorry.

jeremy1555: Wait, what? I don't remember putting in typos. It's okay if you're not a fan of HiE fics.

Minnow the Lear Macaw: Hey, thanks! :)

godzillafan1: Oh okay. But does Twilight really love Brayden? You'll find out soon enough! :D

P.S. Is anyone reading this also using DeviantArt? I could use a change of the cover to Learning To Live. Interested in drawing something related to the story? Message me for details on what my character looks like.

I open up my eyes slowly, letting the blur come out quickly. Yep, it's just my usual wake-up call each time the sun starts to rise out through the windows. I gently grab a hold of the sheets and pull them off of me, moving them across from me and not off the bed. I move up slowly up off the bed, and take a quick stretch. I finally turn around and face my bed, bending down a little to grab the bed sheets I took off me and pull them back onto the bed. After straightening the sheets, I place the pillow at the top of the bed.

I finally turn around and start walking forward slowly towards my bedroom door. I grab onto the gold painted doorknob with my right hand, and gently pull it open. The light comes in from the other side of the door and shines on into my room. I walk out of the room, grabbing onto the other handle on the opposite side of the door and pull it shut.

I turn towards the stairs, walking slowly towards them. I grab onto the handle on my right and begin to descend down the stairs into the living room. I was quite surprised; normally it's sometimes filled with a few animals, so it was quiet. I had also noticed that Fluttershy wasn't here, since she mostly is here.

"Fluttershy?" I called out, but not too loud since knowing how shy she could be, it could scare her a bit. No answer though.

I decided to go and look for her around the cottage, so I decided to check the bathroom first just in case she wasn't using it. It would be rather embarrassing if I walked in while she was using it, and wouldn't know how she'd react. I walk up the stairs again and walk towards the bathroom. I slowly move my hand towards the doorknob and grab on it. I turn the doorknob to the right, and push open the door.

Strange, Fluttershy isn't in here as well. The bathroom does look quite clean though with the sun's rays rising into the room brightly reflecting off onto the clear bathroom tiles, giving it a shine. I close the door gently, and begin to walk back towards the stairs.

I made my way down the stairs and had my eyes on the door into the kitchen. My feet glide along down the wooden steps onto the floor of that same wood, and go forward into the kitchen. I begin to peek a bit around the kitchen and could see that she wasn't in here as well. But a piece of paper with writing lying on the counter caught my eye and I walked briskly into the kitchen to see what it said.

I approached the counter and took a look down at the note. I couldn't really see the writing that well in the dim room. I guess Celestia's sun didn't light up the room all the way for me to see what Fluttershy wrote. I moved my right hand and grabbed the piece of paper. I moved towards the nearby window, letting the sun's rays shine onto the paper. I could see the writing a little better now. I took a look, and began to read.

"Dear Brayden, if you have found this letter I have gone out of the cottage. I have gone to Cloudsdale for the day with Rainbow Dash to attend a special show with the Wonderbolts. I left breakfast for you in the fridge and you're ready for lunch, the supplies should be in the fridge. I'll be back in the evening. Fluttershy."

I place the note gently down onto the table in front of me and turn my head towards the fridge. I approach the fridge and put my left hand onto the silver handle. I give it a tug and it pulls open, seeing the various majorities of fruits, dairy products and anything nutritious in there. I could see my breakfast in a wooden bowl of fresh salad leaves with fruits and nuts included. I won't go into much detail though.

I ended up taking it out of the fridge and eating it, as I usually did for any other breakfast when getting up out of bed. After I was finished my breakfast, I took my bowl over to the sink and began to wash it out, and then dry it. When I finished drying the bowl, I put it back into the cupboard, and closed the cupboard door.

A flash of white light quickly fills the room to have me nearly fall over. It was just Discord in front of the kitchen door, dressed in a bathrobe. He must have taken quite a bath.

I turn towards him and get some breath out. "Discord?" I asked him, while he slithers his way towards me in a snake form.

"Why yes Brayden, it is I." Discord says to me while he coils around me in snake form, then transforms back into his draconequus form. "It's surprising to see you as well. I just arrived here to see if Fluttershy was around."

"She's gone up with Rainbow Dash to Cloudsdale to see a show for the Wonderbolts, so it's just me." I said, pulling off a sheepish grin.

"I see." Discord says, raising an eyebrow. "I suspect she'll be back soon-"

"She's coming back in the evening." I spoke out, interrupting what Discord was saying.

Discord just goes back to a normal expression and looks at me with some sort of smile on his face. "So, how did your 'date' with Princess Twilight go?" He asks me, trying to probably make a fool out of me by the sound of his tone of voice.

"It WASN'T a date." I said to him, trying not to embarrass myself, but my cheeks were already pink.

Discord stretches his head and says "But I heard you asked her out after your special show for her."

"None of your business." I said, turning away from him and trying to ignore his most-likely teasing.

Discord teleports in front of me and says "Oh come now Brayden, I was there in the crowd singing to her. I even cheered for you, remember? Isn't that what friends are for?"

"Well, you did help me in confessing my true feelings to Twi, and I'm happy that you could help me out. She really enjoyed the roses you suggested that I give her." I said.

"That's one thing." Discord says, pointing to me with his eagle claw. He teleports in quick white flashes over to the fridge and pulls it open. He grabs a plate with a fresh picked corn on the cob and starts to chew into it.

"It's unusual. You're eating something that's dinner related for breakfast." I said curiously, raising an eyebrow. Discord just looks at me kind of awkwardly and just shrugs and continues to eat his dinner, I mean breakfast.

I could hear knocking at the front door to tell that somepony was trying to reach for Fluttershy. I walk towards the front door, leaving the kitchen with Discord in there. I mean, he's able to take care of himself. But I wondered where he lives when he isn't at Fluttershy's cottage, because I recall at one point when she mentioned that she and him send each other letters.

I approach the front door and grab onto the handle with my right hand, turning the knob and pulling it open. I could see three recognizable fillies standing at my door. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. I smiled when I saw their bright and smiling faces.

"Hi Brayden!" Apple Bloom says to me, waving. "We just came by and see if Fluttershy was around, we wanted to ask her a question."

"Sorry girls, but she went off with Rainbow Dash to Cloudsdale to see a Wonderbolts show." I told them.

All three of the girls went "aww" in disappointed tones of voice and lowered their heads. But Sweetie Belle raises her head and has a smile to tell that she had an idea.

"Say, why don't we ask Brayden?" She says to both of her two friends.

Apple Bloom says "Great idea!" She finally turns towards me with the bright smile back on her face. "Well, we were going to ask Fluttershy if she could give us any ideas for what to bring to Show and Tell, but I think we could use you for our Show and Tell. You could meet our teacher Cheerilee!"

I began to think for a moment. Fluttershy was out for the day and I wasn't sure what everypony else was doing, so a Show and Tell wouldn't be too bad. I turned back to the girls and said "Well, I haven't done those since I was a little kid."

"Come on Brayden, you won't regret it!" Scootaloo says in an assuring voice.

I look at the three for a few moments. I could tell that they seemed to need my assistance. I finally nod my head and say "Of course, I'll help the both of you girls."

"Alright!" The three of them said.

I walked through the front door and closed it behind me when I left the cottage. I begin to follow alongside the three crusaders, between Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. I don't really notice Discord waving to me from the window, and then moving away from the window to most likely relax at the cottage.

"So, what do you think we'll do on our next crusading today?" Scootaloo said to Apple Bloom.

Apple Bloom began to think for a moment, and then said "Well, we could try Treasure hunting."

"Treasure hunting? Girls, that's only in the deep dark dungeons and doing that is dangerous." I said to them. "Why not try something safe like fishing?"

"We tried that already." Sweetie Belle said to me. "All I could say about doing that though, was that it wasn't a catchy bite." I could see what joke she pulled right there.

"Well, just suggesting." I said, shrugging.

I turned towards one of my favorite crusaders, Scootaloo. She seemed rather happy, as she always was. I don't think I've ever seen her sad since I first came to Equestria. If she was sad, I would probably do everything in my path to make her happy again, even though that's Pinkie's job to make them all smile. But you could probably say that I get inspired by my friends.

"It was fun swimming with you and Rainbow Dash two days ago." I said to Scootaloo.

Scootaloo looked at me when I started to make conversation with her. "Did you see how fast I was swimming? I try to use my wings to paddle when I can, even though I'm still trying to learn to fly."

"And I'm sure you'll master that soon enough!" I said, sounding very encouraging. "We should hang out again sometime soon, who knows what fun things we'll do next time."

"Yeah, we could probably try…" Scootaloo says and pauses for a moment to think. "Well, I'll let Rainbow Dash decide, since I already made the decision to have us swim."

I nod my head in agreement and continue to walk alongside the crusaders, moving my head back forward. It seemed like a peaceful walk, fillies and foals were trotting alongside the trail with their parents and enjoying the beautiful morning sunrise Celestia brought forth. It was just like any other school day for them, since it was a Monday and they were back in school after a nice weekend. A few of the parents that I happened to see were Derpy Hooves, her daughter Ditzy, and a young light tan mare with a light-brown coloured mane with light blue eyes. Her coat seemed to look like the colour of a usual human from my world.

"My, loads of foals 'n' fillies out today." I said, observing the movement of the parents and their kids even though it was different. It did remind me of when I was in elementary school, but I won't tell you the name of it.

I could see the schoolhouse in the distance coming up, and it looked just like how it was pictured in the show. The school bell was at rest at the top of the building, just waiting to be rung at any time for the children to come in for their morning to afternoon lesson. A few of the fillies were interacting with each other past the fence on the school yard, chatting with one another of how their morning went, taking turns on the swings, and that many other stuff. It brought back the sweet memories of my innocent childhood, stopping me from moving to reflect on it.

I remembered being just a little kid in third grade. I felt so happy and free when at elementary. The only downside was that because of my so-called gift, I wasn't able to make any friends. And if I did, I would hardly talk to them since I would daydream off into my own world, picturing myself on an adventure in my mind.

Somepony tugs on my hand and it interrupts my reflection. I take a look down to who was tugging onto my hand and could see Sweetie Belle. It was just like when I first met her when I first arrived, but I think she was trying to just snap me out of my own train of thought to focus onto what was really happening.

"You okay Brayden?" She asks me, and she seems kind of concerned.

I bend down on one knee, and get close to her level. "I'm fine Sweetie Belle. I… I was just reflecting on my past life as a kid." I told her, sounding happy.

Sweetie had a curious look on her face. "What did you do as a foal?" She asks.

I chuckle a bit at the 'foal' mention. "Well Sweetie, I'm not really a foal. It's pronounced as child from my world. Back then, I was just an innocent kid who felt care-free of all the troubles around me. I would go into my own imagination a lot as a kid, drawing out images of childhood figures." I explained to her.

"Wow! You were that happy?" Sweetie Belle says, putting out the squeaks as she spoke.

I felt the downside to this memory coming in, and I begin to look a bit sad. "Well… not really, you see… I never had any friends at that age." I said.

Sweetie Belle softly gasped, placing her hoof close to her mouth. I could tell she was already feeling bad about me telling this. "You… never had friends?" She asks in a tone that sounds close to a whisper.

"Yes. No matter how hard I tried, it was never really official. I'd always be acquaintances with them since they were busy with their own friends. They also seemed to care less about what happened to me when I have my outbursts." I explained to her.

"Outbursts?" Sweetie Belle asks me. "Were you angry back then?"

"No, it was just mere frustration. And I've had friends who would run off and betray me behind my back in the middle school years. Mostly in Grade 6 though." I told her, and then turn away slightly. "I don't really want to talk about it though, it brings up bad memories. But it wasn't until high school where I finally got some friends."

"And were they good?" She asks again, putting on a smile.

I begin to form a smile on my face and say "Oh yes, they were some nice people and had the best of friends in that world. But I can't help but wonder what is happening there on Earth while I'm gone? I hope they're okay."

Sweetie Belle places her hoof onto my hand. I turn back to her slightly, looking at her. "And I'm sure that they're being okay and they're thinking about you." She tells me with the sound of honesty in her voice.

"I hope so Sweetie Belle." I told her, and move my hand to her head, giving her a soft and gentle pat. She gets her hoof off of my hand and I get up and start standing again, unbending my leg.

I walk forward onto the school grounds with the three of my friends, and take a look around at the area. Every filly and foal is among each other, talking to each of their own friends about their morning and what they mostly ate for breakfast before moving onto discussions of things that they were more interested in. I could most notably see the familiar faces I remember from the show.

A few of the school fillies were watching me when I turned my head a bit to both my left and right. It was no doubt that they've caught interest in knowing what I am and who I am. Didn't most of Equestria already hear about my arrival by now? The fillies seemed to have a look of curiosity as if I was shining before them. Then finally a thought related to everypony knowing about me came to me inside, their parents must not have told them about me in their world's presence. Hey, it's not like I'm going to hurt them all. I would never hurt a single character from the show as long as I live, but it's true. I do live in their world now.

But these fillies don't seem to know about my origins and why I'm different from them. I'm watching them under suspicion, and could see a small young foal with brown spots on his white mane approaching me. I turned my focus towards that small foal and I begin to remember who he is. It was none other than the character Pipsqueak.

"Excuse me mister? But aren't you that 'human' that was being told in the newspaper?" Pipsqueak asks me with his British-sound like voice.

I rolled my eyes and smile. "Doesn't everypony know about me by now?" I said in return to him.

"Well it did make me assume that because I caught onto my parents talking about you from the Equestria Times." Pipsqueak said, explaining how somepony small could know about me. Wait, they post newspapers all over Equestria?

I bend down on my knee, lowering my size. "Well, my name is Brayden." I said to Pipsqueak, and reach out my hand for a hand, sorry- hoofshake.

"Pipsqueak's my name." He says to me and shakes my hand with his small hoof. "It's nice to meet you Brayden."

"Nice to meet you too, Pipsqueak." I said to him, putting on a smile.

After the hoofshake, I raise myself up off the ground and take a look at the building itself. The building seems to look serene and looked just like the school that I'd see in any cartoon. Finally, I looked up at the bell and could see the bell's gold coat of paint shining brightly in the daylight under Celestia's sun. It was quite a sight, to be honest. I then turn my head towards the departing parents wishing their filly or foal a good day at school. I took a look at a small dark amber coated foal that had a red and yellow beanie and his mane was the color of moderate tangelo. The same mare with the brown hair and look very human was wishing her son good luck. I open up my ears a bit to hear what the foal's mom was saying.

"Alright Button, you have a good day at school and don't get into any trouble today. You don't want a repeat of last time." His mom said, sounding very caring.

"I know Mom." Button said in a guilty tone of voice that sounded a bit like a kid from a show I watched back on Earth. "But it's not my fault that I had to fight those two foals for my JoyBoy."

Button's mom gave him a quick sharp glare. "Button…" She warned again. "Remember if I hear about something like this happening again, you'll be grounded."

"I'll be on my best behaviour like I always am, Mom." Button said to his mom, and then turned away to trot off towards his friends.

"Have fun!" His mother calls out one last time before trotting off. You know, the whole time I was probably looking at Button's mother the whole time. It was probably because I picked her as my favorite character from the fan animation I saw while back on Earth. I wonder if the second episode had been made of that yet. Some time, just like all the others, I'll have to start interacting and getting to know Button's mother. But what really got me was trying to find out her name. Oh well, I'll know soon enough.

The bell ringing on top of the school caught me off guard and by complete surprise. I knew what this meant when it started to move side by side, ringing that same tone over and over. It was time for the school day to begin. I could see every one of the foals and fillies rushing towards the entrance into the building, fresh for the new lesson that awaits them.

"Come on Brayden!" Scootaloo calls out to me. I walk over toward the three of my friends again and join them while walking into through the school doors.

The room seemed just like I had pictured it in the show. Even Cheerilee's desk was in the right position that I saw it when back on Earth, when I first saw the show. I just followed Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle towards their desks. I watched as they moved onto their chairs and took their seats. I was going to take a seat, but realized that there weren't any seats left. So I was left with standing there waiting for something to happen.

I could hear trotting coming from a slightly open door. I turn my eyes towards that door and could see a mare come in through the door from upstairs, where she was ringing the bell. It was none other than the teacher Cheerilee, looking quite happy with a smile at her students. She then trots past the front of her desk and takes a look at her class, rambling on about their favorite things.

"Alright everypony, calm down now. We're going to warm up our lesson with a Show and Tell, and then we'll be going onto our latest lesson today which will be Math." Cheerilee says.

A few of the ponies including my three friends are groaning. Math? Why would they be complaining about Math? I used to hate it, but I did not seem to realize that I would eventually need mathematical skills when I'm growing up. Especially when it comes to solving out money issues as an adult.

"Well don't complain my little ponies, remember that you always have me in the class, so don't be afraid to ask any problem you may be having." Cheerilee said. "But let's now start off with our Show and Tell. Who wants to go first?"

I began to take a look around and could see everypony getting out their item they selected specifically for the activity. I could see the two bullies of the school, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon taking out a few of their precious jewels they got together. Snips and Snails even had something of their own separately. When I turned to my three friends, they were raising their hooves into the air wanting to start off first.

I turned back to Cheerilee who saw my three friends' hooves in the air, and pointed to them with her hoof. "Ah, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. What do you have to show the class today?" She asks them, looking both curious and happy.

"Well, actually Miss Cheerilee, it's not a thing. It's a He." Apple Bloom said to Miss Cheerilee, then getting up off of her seats with her three friends. Because I'm close between Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo's desks, they got off at the side of rows of desks and I began to follow them all the way to the front of the room.

Cheerilee seems to look a bit rather surprised to see me when I come up with the three eager and young fillies to the front of the classroom. Everypony in the room was looking at me with their amazed and curious eyes, but knowing Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, they just frown about my presence. Especially since I bumped into Diamond at the pool, when hanging out with Rainbow Dash and Scoots.

Apple Bloom pointed a hoof onto my left leg and was looking at the class. "This is our very good friend Brayden. He may look different, but do not be afraid. He's really nice and friendly." I listen to her say and I just smile at the class sheepishly.

Cheerilee approached the girls and said "But what is he though?"

"He's a human." Sweetie Belle spoke out.

Cheerilee looks at me curiously. "I see. But besides that question, I was just wondering if it can speak to us."

"Sure." I said with the joy in my voice.

Cheerilee was now a bit more comfortable now that I was able to speak, and relieved to see how friendly I sounded by the tone. "You probably know my name by now since my students have been calling me now, but I'm Cheerilee." She tells me.

"It's nice to meet you Cheerilee." I told her, and extended my hand to give her a hoofshake. She places her hand onto my hand, I wrap my fingers around her hoof and start shaking her hoof gently.

After a few quick moments of the hoofshake, both of us let go and Cheerilee has that look that seems to know I'm hiding something. "Say, aren't you a little older to be in school?" She asks.

Well, she does prove a bit of a point about me being old, considering my age being 20. I should be in college by now from what Cheerilee was seeing in me. "Well, yes. But…" I said nervously.

"Don't you worry Brayden. I'm not going to throw you out, I'm not that mean. But I reckon that you must be helping out the three of my students with their math work?" Cheerilee stated in a happy tone, giving me a sigh of relief that she wasn't escorting me herself out of the school.

"Sure, I could help with that." I said, taking the offer of helping out Scoots, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom with their work.

Cheerilee looked at the three proud students at the front. "Thank you for introducing me to your friend Brayden. Please go take your seat now so everypony else can have a chance to show what they've got." She tells them.

I follow my friends again to their seats and stand in the row of classroom desks they were in. As usual, not enough chairs for me to sit, so it looks like I'll have to sit on the floor. Somepony behind me taps my shoulder, turning my head to them.

It was only Snips trying to get my attention. His horn was ignited with magic when he was pulling up a chair for me to sit on. I give a smile to the small foal and take my seat on the wooden chair. I turn my head back towards the front of the room, ready to see what math work that the children were doing in their class today. To my guess on the chalkboard, it seemed to be Multiplication problems today.

Cheerilee hands everypony a piece of paper with multiplication problems for them to do. I briefly checked over the worksheet. According to the questions on the sheets, they must have been the type of third-grade school work. This, I could definitely help my friends with.

"Oh great, multiplication? I do not enjoy this kind of math." Scootaloo says quietly within my hearing range. She turns to me with a look of tiresome boredom. "This and Division is the most difficult part of Math to me."

"Don't you worry Scootaloo, I can help to solve the problems." I told her, giving her a soft, gentle pat of confidence on her back. "Now let us see what kind of problems you have."

I took a look with Scootaloo on her worksheet and began to scan over the parts of multiplication she could and couldn't do. She managed to fill in most of the questions that she was able to do all by herself which made me proud to see that she was doing it by herself. The other multiplication questions came by which I knew had me come into action to help her.

"Alright Brayden, I've got a tough one. What is 6 x 6?" She asks me, sounding rather curious about the question.

"Six times six… I think I know this. Okay, Scootaloo. Imagine that I only have six oranges and wanted to have six more pairs of oranges." I guessed. The truth is… I wasn't really as good at Multiplication either. I was only more into addition and subtraction.

Scootaloo was thinking for a moment about the question, and then moved her pencil towards the worksheet, writing down the answer to the question. The answer she had written down was the number "36". I then saw her look at me with a look of smile wondering if she got the right answer. I nod and smile to tell her she is right.

She smiles rather gleefully and begins to write down the questions. I turn my head towards Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom to see how their progress in the work was doing. They seemed to be doing rather fine on their own doing their Multiplication work. I turn my focus back towards Scootaloo to wait for her to ask assistance for a question she had trouble on.

"Psst!"

That whisper raised my head upward a bit; curious of if somepony is trying to get my attention. Or somepony else's attention to tell them something. I take a look at the rows of desks with its busy students working away. But I finally could see a pair of eyes looking at me from another row.

I recognized her face. It was the small filly that I had bumped into at the recreation centre during my swim. Diamond Tiara. When I got into her view of eyes, she signalled for me to come over. I didn't want to cause any trouble and not come over to her, so I decided to just go and see what she had to tell me.

I got up off of my seat and passed in front of Scootaloo, who seemed to wonder where I was going off to. She goes off to the right, leaving the sight of my own eyes. I then get over to Diamond Tiara and bend down on one knee.

"Can I help you Diamond?" I asked her in a hushed quiet voice, keeping to my friendly self and acting as if she needed to have a question fulfilled on her page. I also didn't want to disturb the class.

Diamond Tiara gives me a snitch look. "Why yes, I wanted to tell you something important about me." She tells me.

I worryingly gulp with nervous tensions growing slowly inside. "Y-yes?" I ask again, but sound a bit nervous.

"I just want to tell you that even if you're here to help around Ponyville, remember that you don't even have a cutie mark and you're different from us. But it's not like it'd matter to me. I'd tease you any other way." I watch her say to me, even putting on an evil-like smile to me.

"That… that wasn't very nice Diamond." I told her quietly and with shock, not wanting to raise attention in the classroom.

Diamond Tiara moved her head towards mine, and she looked rather mad as if I said something wrong. "Are you trying to tell on me or something?" She quietly tells me, but in a sharp and angered tone of voice.

I shook my head nervously. "N-no." I said.

"Then stay out of my way, and I won't have to tease you and your friends, the Blank Flank Failures." She says to me, gently patting my head evilly as if I was her pet.

How dare she! She wouldn't just insult my friends just like that, it's the real definition of a true school bully in the classroom. How would she like it if I called her something mean like that, but I'm not going to, since I'm way too nice to hurt anypony. No matter how small, large or mean.

I finally turn around, looking away from Diamond Tiara and start walking back towards the seat next to Scootaloo. I took my seat in the wooden chair again, and took a look at Scootaloo who was eyeing the conversation between me and Diamond.

"You okay?" She asks me, sounding a bit concerned.

I took a look into Scootaloo's concerned and mild worried eyes, giving my own sad look to tell my emotion of aftermath from what Diamond Tiara had said to me. "Not really." I quietly said, but at a good volume for Scootaloo to hear.

Scootaloo turned towards me, placed her friendly left hoof onto my hands and said "What did Diamond say to you?"

I sighed sadly. "She was telling me that she'll tease me, you, Sweetie and Apple Bloom in any way possible. I think she'll tease me more for being different from you guys." I said to her.

"I knew that Diamond was up to something." Scootaloo says, turning down a bit listening to what I said and thinking. She finally turns back to me. "Brayden, don't listen to what Diamond Tiara has told you. Her lies can put you down that easily."

I nod in listening and understanding what advice Scootaloo gave to me. This puts a friendly smile onto my friend and she takes her hoof of my hands and turns back around to continue to do her math schoolwork.

While Scootaloo was busy, I turned my head towards the front of the room, putting Cheerilee into my sight. She was busy reading a book all about mathematical problems related to the topic that everypony in the room was working on. She must seem really focused on today's work in her own classroom.

I begin to think for a moment. She reminded me of one of my teachers in high school, she was rather nice and understood my troubles that went on with me in my life. She would help me with suggestions on how to deal with them when they start to trouble me in the times of being busy, and I'd look upon her for that advice. That's when it struck me; I should try to befriend Cheerilee. She was really nice and knew how to solve a problem when it came.

I get up off of the seat and walk past Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom's desks, heading towards Cheerilee's desk. She doesn't notice me yet since she's dug into the math book she's reading, probably preparing for the next lesson.

"Ummm…" I spoke out a bit, in low volume. Cheerilee's eyes are taken off of the book and onto me. Her left eyebrow rises a bit while she looks at me. "Hi?"

Cheerilee lets out a bit of a smile and signals me to come with her. She gets up off of her desk and opens the door on her right into another room. I walked slowly forward towards the door she came through and pushed the door open a bit slowly and softly.

It was Cheerilee's office at the back of the Ponyville School. The room was brightly lit by Celestia's sun in the afternoon sky. A desk of mahogany sat by the four-paneled windows on the right side of the room, where Cheerilee was standing by, waiting for me. I close the door quietly behind me and walk over near Cheerilee, close to one of the chairs in front of her desk. She uses her hoof to grab a hold of her chair by her desk.

"Take a seat Brayden." She tells me, sounding pretty happy to see me.

I nod in acknowledgement and turn towards the single leather seat, turning around to face Cheerilee again, lowering down and sitting down onto the soft leather. Cheerilee then scoots a bit closer to talk to me.

"First off Brayden, I want to know something." Cheerilee said to me. I gulped, fearing she would wonder why I was being just friends with Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom as something different among them. She puts on a smile and places her hoof onto my shoulder. "Brayden, you don't have to worry about anything."

I lowered my head a bit and said "I know, but ever since Fluttershy found me… I keep thinking that not everypony here in Equestria will approve of my presence."

"Brayden, do you really think I'd hate you?" Cheerilee said to me, still keeping her smile on her own face. "You've been helping out my students too well, and you're friends with at least three of them? I think even the others are impressed."

"I'm not so sure about Diamond Tiara though." I said to her, finally looking up back at her again. "She's sort of telling me she'll bully me every chance she runs into me."

"She did?" Cheerilee said, sounding a bit concerned.

I sighed a bit softly and sadly, saying "Yes, but I can deal with her behaviour. Why is she teasing my friends anyway? She's been doing to for… who knows how long."

"Don't let her bug you. You seem like a great… what are you?" She asks.

"Human." I stated.

"Oh yeah, I heard about you!" She says happy again. Hasn't everypony heard about me already? "Well anyways, you seem like a great human to befriend."

"Well, I was just about to ask you that when I got up from helping Scoots to talk to you." I said to her. "I was wondering if we could be friends."

"Of course Brayden. I'm friends with mostly everypony here in town, so it's good to make another friend." She tells me.

I smile now and say "Alright."

Both me and Cheerilee both share what bronies in my previous world called 'brohoof' and smile in friendly ways at each other. I then turned my focus off of her and a thought began to cross into my own head.

"What is it?" Cheerilee asked.

"Nothing…" I told her, I didn't want to tell her about my gift.

She places her hoof onto my hand. "Brayden, please do tell me." She said, caring in a friendly way.

"Well, one thing that I didn't want to tell you is that I have a gift that I was born with. It's called Autism." I confessed to her.

Cheerilee put her hoof off my hand and onto her chin, thinking deeply about my disability. "A disability called Autism, hm? Well, as a teacher, I am quite aware of various disabilities that affect each student both mentally and physically."

My eyebrows rose a bit; disabilities also exist in Equestria too? I had to find out who was like that. "Do you know anypony who has that?" I asked, curious.

"An example of one of them is Scootaloo. She thinks she'll fly one day, but her wings are really short than all of the other pegasi in my class." Cheerilee tells me. Her happy tone had dropped a bit into the sad tone. "I fear she'll never be able to fly."

"She could though!" I said, trying to defend Scootaloo at the same time. "I know she can do it, but learning how to fly through the eyes of a pegasus isn't easy. And I'm no pegasus expert, so…"

"I understand, and you can support her all you can." Cheerilee told me. "It's even rare that she fights with her own friends. But when it happens, they forgive each other in the end."

What Cheerilee said to me had sparked a memory of being back in high school into me. I remember having one of those pointless fights with my best friend, well, until I died in that world. But I hope she is doing okay and well. But for me, it was a flashback into 2012, a bad memory I do not wish to relive. In the same month I went to visit the therapist. But except it was very early, most likely it was the first day in May if I remember.

Earth, May 2012

I sat alone in a classroom upstairs staring blankly and depressingly at my computer screen. It wasn't your ordinary classroom that I'd hide in. It was where I'd be able to find my own friend named Alex. Alex wasn't just my ordinary friend, but he was also a brony like me. But with him, I'd sort of consider him more of a 'clopper' in that world because he was obsessed with Rainbow Dash. He was in the same room with me, looking at the picture of the new villain at the time. Queen Chrysalis.

"Holy crap, she looks ugly as hell!" Alex says to me while he's looking at the design of the character. I'm just sitting there blankly, not really responding him. But in my mind, I felt just like Pinkie when she had become Pinkamena in the episode Party of One. I hadn't watched that episode yet, but I know mostly about what it was about.

"You okay?" Alex asks me, just distracted by the characters from the show.

I look sadly at my friend. "No…" I say in a depressed tone of voice.

Alex looked at me and said "Is it a girl?" Even sounding like I have a crush on someone.

"Goddamn it, no." I said, trying to not have it look like there was something going on. "…Okay, yeah. But it's a different scenario."

"What happened? Did you piss her off?" Alex says, sounding ready for any excitement that comes out of my mouth.

I nod my head and said "Well, yes. But now she isn't going to talk to me after what I did. I think I've lost her as a friend. In fact, I don't want her to leave me in pieces."

"So you do like her!" Alex shouts, laughing as if I spilled the beans.

"I said no!" I angrily shouted out, not being satisfied with his joking attitude.

"Oh relax Brayden, she's just a girl! So what if you made her upset? You have me as a friend, and we have yet to hang out at my place to play on Minecraft!" Alex tells me, and then finally leans forward towards me in a creepy yet joking way. "So why'd she get all mad?"

"I couldn't get her what she wanted to get. And now she's mad at me." I said.

"Oh forget about her! She's just trying to manipulate you as a puppet. But please, can we continue to look at pictures of my favorite pony, Rainbow Dash. She's sooooooo sexy." Alex tells me, begging. I just roll my eyes in annoyance.

I eventually surrender to his 'wants' and just proceed to together look at pictures and vectors of Rainbow Dash. And when I mean that Alex is obsessed with Rainbow Dash, he REALLY is obsessed. But luckily for me, he respected the fact that Twilight was my favorite pony and he would call her my waifu. Okay, I wasn't into anime big time, so I didn't know what waifu meant, but when I found out, I was absolutely disgusted. Yes, I had a crush on Twilight, but wouldn't go that far.

"Is Brayden in here?" I could hear a female voice behind me and my head rose up when I heard that similar voice. It was her, my best friend.

I was scared as hell, and knew that she'd probably try to throw me against a wall, and when I mean that, she'll be definitely trying to bitch about how what she wants is more important than other things and how I should have got it. I closed down the lid of my laptop and it somewhat interrupted Alex's daily view of his waifu. "Hey!" He calls out to me.

She finally walked into the classroom with another girl who also happened to be my friend and her friend as well. My best friend, if you're wondering what her name is… happens to be known as Rebecca. Our other friend was named Andrea. Rebecca however looked rather serious when she came into the room. Why did she come here with our friend Andrea, is she also trying get her involved in this fight as well?!

I got up off of my seat and looked at Rebecca who seemed too busy just texting on her own cell phone. "Why did both of you come here?!" I said, sounding very confused and angry at the same time.

"I came because I wanted to, duh!" She told me. The nerve! I didn't like the way she was talking to me. Andrea just stood there with Rebecca, just keeping silent and not wanting to cause trouble.

I approached her and banged my fist on the nearby table in frustration. "I don't want you to follow after I upset you last night, so why must you hover over me and look for me?" I told her, being the most sensitive at the moment.

Rebecca just remained silent and continued to test on her phone, even playing an app on her phone which I didn't care what it was. When I knew she was silent, I could tell that she probably hated me by now and nothing would change that.

"I knew it… you hate me." I told her, just about feeling down again.

"Stop." She just tells me in one word. I felt like my body had shattered just like glass when she said that. It sounded really dark and like she never really cared about me at all. She turns towards the classroom door, and I'm forced to watch her leave the room just in an angry fashion. But she turns back to me and says "I just want my privacy, and it's your fault I couldn't see my favorite thing." Then goes back out quickly, leaving angrily once again.

I must have forgotten by now of my emotional tears that came bursting out of my eyes, and going by the classroom window and weeping my ears out like hell. It was a nightmare placed right into my head, and it is a nightmare that I shall always remember to date. Andrea and Alex just approach me by the window and are trying their best to comfort me, but now I truly felt like Pinkamena that evening and the next day, going crazy without talking to Rebecca.

Eventually, the next day when I felt like I was going crazy, Andrea came to see me in the same room. She was trying to hang out with me. But something else had snapped into my mind the previous day when all hell broke loose. I was letting my imagination get the best of me and decided it would be best if I became a leader to the ponies known as the "Alicorn Master". It was only out of distressed sadness and anger and I knew I couldn't let it control me, even though Rebecca sometimes loves talking and sharing my imagination with me, and I do the same in return. But something felt different about her, it just wasn't her anymore. She became different through my eyes, like she wasn't the Rebecca I knew anymore. But for Andrea, I got to introduce her to the show I watched and she picked her favorite character.

I snapped out of my memory and could still remember what was happening, except everything looked like it had changed. Cheerilee looked rather worried and concerned highly about me when she saw the tears in my eyes. Even I could feel the stinging in my eyes from the tears that rolled down my cheeks and dripped onto the wooden planks below us.

"Brayden, are you okay?" Cheerilee said, sounding frightened and concerned. She's never seen me like this before, so this is a first time.

I couldn't let her find out what happened between me and a friend that still upsets me to date, and I began to walk past her. "I have to go." I said to her, sounding really sad and like I was about to burst into tears.

Cheerilee moved alongside me, trying to stop me. "Please Brayden, I need to know." Cheerilee said to me, sounding more concerned than ever.

"Please, I just want to get going." I said, more tears going down and my eyes turning a bit red from the stinging.

"But Brayden-" Cheerilee tried to speak more, but I just went past her and went right past her, opening the door and entering the classroom.

Everypony continued to study their multiplication problems on their worksheet, and Scoots was raising her head from her work to see me come back, noticing the tears that came down my face. I was just turning to the door on the left to leave the classroom. I'm pretty sure, when I peeked my eyes to the right, I could see Diamond Tiara snickering quietly.

I continue forward, walking out of the classroom and school in one. I can't believe I just did that, bursting into tears like that. I am such a fool for doing that! I just continue to walk down the path and away from the school, giving the idea that I wanted to be alone now and not disturbed.

I'm sitting down by a peaceful pond under a tree, just crying my head off from the pain. The pond seemed quite peaceful among me, with the soft sound of frogs filling in the afternoon environmental sounds. Two watersnakes dance around in the water forming a unique dance, but I'm never noticing this half the time due to the pain that keeps coming to me from the past.

Oh why! Why did I have to be born with this disability and why do I have to forever live with the bad memories of something that could be forgotten easily in a few weeks' time! If I didn't have it, I could care less about the bad memories that would come to put me down a lot. People have told me before that those will make me stronger, but I don't want to be stronger, I just feel weaker and unable to move on from the mistakes I make and the depression I went through.

A few of the frogs and animals are just looking at me, and I could tell by their faces that they were feeling so bad for me and wanted to help me. I wish they could help, but all of them were smaller than I was. So I just sat there quietly, softly weeping and letting the tears fall.

"Brayden?" A voice calls out.

Wait, I know that voice, it was my special somepony… Twilight. I couldn't let her see my face after last time when I ran off crying into the Everfree Forest. I was almost dead after that. I had to figure out where to hide so she could see my face. I decided to turn to the left side and start hiding. It seemed to be too late though to make that action, she was already in front of me.

She had a look of surprise, concern and caring. Her eyes could give away that she felt really bad for me and what was happening with me. She trots right beside me and sits down right next to me. "Is something wrong Brayden?" She asks me.

I just turn and look at her, tears still flowing down, but I'm unable to cry anymore. I shook my head, and she seemed to look sadder. Her mulberry coated hoof moved towards my gentle right hand and began to hold onto it gently.

"Please Brayden… I'll understand. Please tell me why you're crying." Twilight said to me, sounding like she wanted to help.

I sighed sadly, with a bit of a sniffle at the end of the sigh. "Well, it's my problems in the past when I lived back on Earth. When I was talking to Cheerilee at the Ponyville School, the flashback somehow ignited and I began to remember the pain I went through, and it still haunts me today." I told her, trying not to cry again. I was beginning to look down and shed more tears.

I could feel Twilight's left wing go around me and pull me closer towards her. "Brayden… please look at me." Twilight requested in a soft, gentle voice.

I slowly look up and into her violet eyes again. She seemed rather caring about what was going on with me. "What happened in your past?" She asks.

"It was fights with friends, my long depression I had for months, and people yelling at me. It's something that I'll always remember until I die." I tell her, the last of my tears coming out.

Twilight softly gasped when I said the word die, and moved her closer towards me. "Brayden, please don't ever say die. I care about you, and I know that you'll eventually forget about it soon enough." She tells me.

"But I can't…" I tell her, sounding said and on the verge of giving up. "It's too hard, it'll always come back."

"Sometimes, even a little love and moving forward from your previous life can help ease that pain. I'm here to help you as much as I can." Twilight says to me, placing a gentle kiss on my forehead.

The tears start to flow again and I throw my arms around Twilight, and gently hug her in my own agony. Twilight felt a bit surprised by the hug from what I tell and proceeds to wraps her other wing around me and gently use one of her hooves to gently rub my back.

"There now Brayden… don't cry." She says to me in the gentlest voice I've ever heard her do. "I'm sure you'll be able to be strong and face these memories, telling them to go away. Don't let them play with you and keep you down."

"I know…" I said in a tone that I was crying. Twilight continued to rub my back and calmly and gently shushing me to calm me down.

I do manage to calm down shortly, and I'm just silent with Twilight continuing to rub my back gently, even now gently nuzzling my cheek with hers. A thought began to also cross me, I think she said that 'she thinks' she loves me when I told her. But I'm really worried that if that's true, something could happen that involves her breaking up with me.

I didn't want her to break up with me if that was true, I wasn't so sure if anypony else could help cheer me up all by myself. I had to ask her, just to be sure she did love me.

"Twilight?" I managed to let out.

"Yes Brayden?" She said, sounding patient and happy.

I keep hugging her, but move my head to see her face again. I'm looking into her beautiful violet eyes, and she seems to be waiting for me to answer. "I was just wondering… I know you just became my special somepony… but I was wondering, if you really do love me." I ask her, noted that I repeated a bit of the words.

Twilight puts her hoofs around each of my shoulders, and looked deep into my brown eyes. "Oh Brayden, why wouldn't I not love you? Of course I do love you. You're my special somepony." She told me, putting a smile on her face. "I couldn't imagine not loving you."

"So you really do?" I asked.

"Yes." She confirmed, nodding her head as well.

I and Twilight begin to gaze into each other's eyes and my right hand was moved to her soft and silky mane. I began to gently stroke it back and forth while seeing her beautiful eyes. I move my head closer towards her.

Twilight moves her head towards me as well and slowly closes her eyes. I close my eyes as well as our lips make contact with one another and we begin to kiss. I felt safe again, safe from the past that brought the pain and misery I once lived in. If I didn't discover Twilight Sparkle or the show in 2011, I probably still would have been super depressed forever. But now, I feel happy and free as I always wanted to be.

I and she eventually let go of the kiss and open our eyes once again with smiles on both of our faces. Knowing that I feel comforted, I gently place my forehead onto her forehead and just look into each other's eyes, gazing once again. "Twilight… can I tell you something?" I asked her, knowing I was going to say a rather overused line from romance films and in general.

"Of course." Twilight said to me, waiting for my response.

I continue to look into her eyes with my red tear-stained eyes from a couple of minutes ago. I finally sighed in silence and let it out. "I love you."

Twilight put on a smile and began to nuzzle my left cheek. "Aw Brayden, I already know you do. I love you too." She gently said to me.

We just held onto each other in an embrace and both of us felt happy. And I just was willing to give her a chance. I wasn't going to see her every day like crazy, since I'm not one of those people who stalk like crazy. But her words were true, 'sometimes a little love could help ease the pain'.

Everything was going to be okay for me after all. I hope.